The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-06-18

hands, and then-not till then-she
realized the fact of her exceeding igno-
rance.
Not for worlds, however, would she
have confessed her inability to rule the
domestic meNage. Aunt Sally had a
profound contempt for "book-larnin',"
and did not hesitate to assert roundly
that "ef brother Simon had took her
advice he would hev brung up Roxan-
ner in quite different way" and the
girl had certain silent pride in vindi-
eating her fathers judgment. So, by
the help of dog scared cookery book
which she found in the garrett, she
learned some of the simpler secrets OF
the cuisine, and her own neat nature
taught her the mysteries of sweeping
and scrubbing; while old Kinda, a jet
black negress, with grizzled wool and
a soft appealing voice like flute, who
pervaded the neighborhood, came twice
in the month to wash and iron for the
little household.
''Jes what ole Hinda's good for,
said she; dat, an muffin else. Missy
can do mos anything; but dar amt no
sense in Missy stan'in' at de wash-tub.
Leave dat are to ole Kinda"
And RoXy's spirits rose with her good
luck.
"Pm getting to be houSe-keeper, y"
said she, cheerily, to herself. "Those
fried fish this morning tasted quite
good, and the wild plums that pre-
served yesterday are certainly going to
be a success"
But if it is always darkest before
daylight, it is also sometimes brightest
before an unexpected thunder-clOud.
And one day old Kinda bethought her
self to feel i'll of Monday morning
of rheumatic fever.
Roxy went to carry her little pail of
milk and stone crock of plums, for
Kinda had 3 child-like fOndness for
sweets.
"Hinda," she faltercd, 'can't you
wash for me this week? Do try--there' S
a good Kinda"
The old woman wriggled herself
about on her uneasy couch wringing
her hands and rolling up the yellow
white of her African eyeballs in pite-
Gus fashion.
Not dis var week, honey" she an
swered, plaintively, mot for de Queen
an all de royal chilluns. No; ner next
week, neider Don knows I'll eber
wash agin, honey" with mournful
croak in her voice. 49,
Roxy's countenance fell. "But, Hin
da," she pleaded, Aunt Sally isn't
able to wash; and besides, she has
found a whole thicket of witch-hazel
some where up the creek, and she won't
sleep night nor day until she gets the
roots all dug and scraped, and the bark
stripped off and put sleeping in alco-
hol. Hinda"-with a sudden inspira-
tion-"do you think I could do the
washingP"
"You, Miss Roxy-oh, git outr'
"But, Kinda, somebody must wash u
at amt no work for a young lady,
Miss Roxy" said Kinda, decisively.
Every thing is work for young
lady" pleaded Roxy, "if it has got tc
be done"
Kinda shook her head. "Yo'll break
yo' back, honey, an parboil yo' hands
an"
"Oh, l don't mind all that, Kinda, il
only Aunt Sally would think the clothes
looked decent" urged Roxy. "Tel
me how to do it, Hinda-there's dar
ling"
"Woll, honey, yo' put de clothes
asoak de night afore," unwillingly be
gan Kinda, "in plenty O bar soal
sliced up thin; an yo' bile 'em well
an yo' doan forgit de blum, an mind
yo' doan git de starch too stiff. an b,
suah yo' rensh de clothes right smart
an'-oh! dar goes de pain in my 20
ole bones agin, jes for all de world lik,
crooked lightnin'."
So Roxy returned home not mucl
wiser than she went I'd give all m,
algebra and geometry" sighed she
''if only ] knew how to wash.
JOY of joys as she went past 'Squir
Honeywells big cream-colored hous
she saw colony of white garments
veritable flags of truce to her trouble,
mind, flutteringin the wind from lin
in the back garden.
They're washing" said Roxy t
herself, with frightening face
"Now's the time for me to 90 in an
see how it is done"
She slipped in 'inuatingly in at tn
open kitchen door, whence cloud G
white steam tloated forth. GOOD
morning, Docia," she said to Miss The
odocia Honeywell, the Squire
daughter "Do you suppose you
t grandmother would like jar of m
wild plumsp THEY'RE a nice color ON